Ann and I were meant to fall in love with Jesus, and each other –
The following is not a guilt trip. Not at all. Finding Christ isn’t about laying guilt on anyone. It’s all about having the best life we can have this side of eternity, and then going on to spend all of eternity with Him.
If we don’t pursue Christ, we can miss so many blessings. On the other hand, if we pursue Him with all our heart, we’ll find Him. I want to encourage all men to find Christ, and to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her. Truly, loving our wives is a large part of pursuing Christ with our whole heart as we endeavor to find Him. And, our wives and children have a much better chance of pursuing and finding Him as well.
As husbands, we can miss out on so many blessings if we’re not loving our wives and truly becoming one with them. Husband’s love your wives as Christ loves the church. There’s a real blessing in pursuing our wives. There are always blessings in doing what God commands us to do.
_______
Beautiful
By Gordon Lightfoot
At times I just don’t know
How you could be anything but beautiful
I think that I was made for you
And you were made for me
And I know that I won’t ever change
‘Cause we’ve been friends
Through rain or shine
For such a long, long time
Laughing eyes and smiling face
It seems so lucky just to have the right
Of telling you with all my might
You’re beautiful tonight
And I know that you will never stray
‘Cause you’ve been that way
From day to day
For such a long, long time
And when you hold me tight
How could life be anything but beautiful
I think that I was made for you
And you were made for me
And I know that I won’t ever change
‘Cause we’ve been friends
Through rain or shine
For such a long, long time
And I must say it means so much to me
To be the one who’s telling you
I’m telling you
That you’re beautiful
_______
Ann came home the other night after having dinner with a friend she used to work with. I’d gone to bed, but before going to bed, I put the song “Beautiful” by Gordon Lightfoot on the computer in the living room so she’d hear it when she got home. In my life and eyes, that song fits Ann beautifully.
Sure enough, Ann came into the bedroom and gave me a kiss telling me how much she loved me and how thankful she was that I think she’s so beautiful.
The first time I played “Beautiful” for Ann on the computer, Ann told me she used to hope that one day someone would think about her the way the “Beautiful” song lyrics describe a man’s love for a lady. Ann didn’t necessarily think she was beautiful. Boy, was she wrong. ☺
I was working at the original “Sports Chalet” in the Southern California area while I going college. I was home on summer break and working at Sports Chalet’s gas station/rental shop in La Canada when in drives this gorgeous lady in a station wagon with a small gold ban on her wedding finger. Wow, I thought she was an absolute knock out. And, she had her hair up in curlers which made it even worse. I mean, if she was that beautiful in curlers then what did she look like without the curlers?
Man, I was totally engulfed with her beauty.
BUT, she had on what I thought was a wedding ring…After Ann left with a full tank of gas, I went into the rental shop office and said to the other workers, “Wow, how fortunate the guy is who’s married to that bombshell.”
A little later on that summer, Ann came driving in the gas station in another car and this time, she had her long, blond hair down and was dressed in a really pretty dress. When I walked up to her car, the first thing out of my mouth was, “Wow, you don’t look bad in curlers, but you look even better like this.” She smiled and asked me to fill up her car. I was dying inside.
When I returned to college the next fall, I was feeling pretty lonely. I wasn’t dating anyone and had no prospects. Sometime later, I discovered that Ann, the beautiful girl I’d seen in the rental shop gas station, was dating one of the fellows who worked there. I was totally amazed to find out she was just 16 and not married after all.
Well, as time went on, I came home from college one day driving by Sports Chalet on my way home. The manager told me I needed to call Ann because she just kept asking about me. I thought, “Are you serious?”
The rest is history. Ann and I got married and I was in dream land.
Now, why am I telling you all this? Because I think Ann is SO beautiful from head to toe. In fact, I tell her that probably 20-50 times a day. I can’t help it. She simply takes my breath away – even after 40 years of marriage. And, I think she’s more beautiful, physically and spiritually, each day. No Kidding.
God had a plan all along. Ann desired to be beautiful to someone, and I wanted a lady exactly like Ann – beautiful, and someone I could love with my whole life and heart. And, someone who wanted to be close to Jesus like I did.
God writes “beautiful” stories. And, I’m feeling pretty blessed “to be the one who’s telling Ann that she’s beautiful tonight.”
That’s why Gordon Lightfoot’s “Beautiful” song was playing when Ann came home last night. Wow, “to think that I was made for her and she was made for me.” Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it right now.
At times, I like to play that song for Ann. I like to remind her of how beautiful I think she is, that her dream of someone thinking the “Beautiful” song’s lyrics about her has come true, and of how much God loves us and is making each of us even more beautiful as He changes us into His likeness, from glory to glory.
Here’s a song I wrote about Ann one day when I was thinking about her and how much she means to me.
Way Beyond Love
By Mark Hellikson To Ann Hellikson
When I first saw you, I thought you were taken,
The second time I was relieved to be mistaken,
You’re exactly what love looks like.
We met to talk, we found we were alike,
We agreed we’d be good together and first kissed that night,
You’re exactly what love looks like.
More time together was proving what our hearts knew,
We had so much in common as our love grew,
You’re exactly what love looks like.
We said our vows and promised our futures,
For better, for worse our love was what mattered,
You’re exactly what love looks like.
We’ve loved each other and come this far together,
And have found new ways to say “I love you” to each other,
Way beyond love.
Time has tested love and love’s the winner,
But something deeper’s been discovered in our souls,
Way beyond love.
Our commitment to each other has given new meaning,
And now some how, way beyond love, two became one forever,
Way beyond love, way beyond love, way beyond love now, way beyond love.
_______
Pursuing Ann has helped both of us to pursue and find more and more of Jesus, and taken us way beyond human love.
Loving Ann and Jesus with my whole heart…I’m learning how to do this better with each new day..
Sitting here thinking about what God has done and anticipating the future with God and Ann – Life is Beautiful.
God bless,
Mark
